Planned EU Social Media Ban for Those Under 13
The European Union (EU) has recently declared their intention to implement a social media ban for children under the age of 13, a decision met with approval by advocates for child safety online.
The announcement of these upcoming EU social media restrictions was made by Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, on Wednesday.
In her statement, von der Leyen expressed her belief in the potential to curb the influence of big tech companies. “The perception that the power of big tech is unassailable and impossible to curb is a misconception. Children’s susceptibility to increasingly extreme content and addictive social media designs need not be accepted. It is us, not tech companies, who set the rules,” she declared.
In order to enforce these new rules, the EU plans to introduce its own verification system. They will also require app stores, rather than the platforms themselves, to monitor and control accessibility. Moreover, for youngsters aged 13 to 15, access to social media platforms would be limited to an hour daily through ‘mini accounts’ linked to a parent or guardian’s social media account.
Patrick Grady, the head of European tech at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, believes these measures will effectively prevent teenagers from bypassing the bans. “Where Australia’s approach has struggled, the EU’s plan will succeed,” he said to Positive News.
However, this proposed social media ban for under-13s has its detractors. Critics, concerned about privacy, caution that to gain access to platforms, users will be compelled to provide personal data.
Despite this, many are applauding the initiative. Leanda Barrington-Leach, executive director at the campaign group 5Rights, stated, “Tech companies’ days of exploiting children for profit and enjoying exceptionalism are drawing to a close.”
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